SPL is 'dead like a parrot', says Raith Rovers vice chairman

By Nicholas McGee

The board member believes the country's top flight is no longer financially sustainable and has criticised a proposal to allow the newco Rangers into the second tier

Raith Rovers vice-chairman Turnbull Hutton has described the Scottish Premier League as “dead as a parrot” as the top flight clubs prepare to vote on Rangers' potential admission to the First Division.

Rangers newco are currently waiting to hear the outcome as the Scottish Football League decide on Thursday whether to place them in the First Division after their application to re-join the SPL was overwhelmingly rejected by its current members.

And Hutton, who is one of the more outspoken directors in Scottish football, has called for the top flight to be completely re-structured in light of the Gers’ SPL admission rejection.

"It’s hardly up to the First Division to sustain that. There could maybe be recognition from the top that accepts the SPL is dead, so let’s wind it up.

"It hasn’t worked for the past 14 years, it has been a failure. It’s all gone belly-up. Let’s start again."

Raith are one of a number of clubs that are against Rangers' admission to the First Division, and Hutton believes that many Scottish Football League clubs are being bullied into allowing the Glasgow giants into the league.

He added: "We are being bullied and railroaded. We are being lied to by the Scottish FA and SPL.

"It was a ridiculous document which came out last week whereby the threat was there that if you don’t vote for an acceptance into the First Division, a breakaway SPL2 will come along.

"Those who didn’t vote wouldn’t be invited. What kind of game are we running here? It is corrupt."

SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster also revealed that the identity of the club who will fill the vacancy created by Rangers’ removal is still to be determined.